Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [24]
The Ъèe pâht ensemble was originally developed to accompany classical dance-drama and shadow theatre but is also commonly heard in straightforward concert performances. Classical Thai music may sound strange to Western visitors due to the use of the standard Thai scale, which divides the octave into seven full-tone intervals with no semitones. Thai scales were first transcribed by the Thai-German composer Peter Feit (whose Thai name was Phra Chen Duriyanga), who also composed Thailand’s national anthem in 1932.
Lôok Tûng & Mǒr Lam
Popular Thai music has borrowed much from Western music, particularly in instrumentation, but retains a distinct flavour of its own. The bestselling of all modern musical genres in Thailand remains lôok tûng. Literally ‘children of the fields’, lôok tûng dates back to the 1940s, is comparable to country-and-western in the USA, and is a genre that tends to appeal most to working-class Thais. Subject matter almost always cleaves to tales of lost love, tragic early death and the dire circumstances of farmers who work day in and day out and, at the end of the year, still owe money to the bank.
Lôok tûng song structures tend to be formulaic as well. There are two basic styles: the original Suphanburi style, with lyrics in standard Thai; and an Ubon style sung in Isan (northeastern) dialect. Thailand’s most famous lôok tûng singer, Pumpuang Duangjan, rated a royally sponsored cremation when she died in 1992, and a major shrine at Suphanburi’s Wat Thapkradan, which receives a steady stream of worshippers.
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top picks
THAI CDS
Most of these CDs are available at domestic chain Mangpong, which has branches at most large malls in town, or at DJ Siam. You can also order online at www.nongtaprachan.com or www.ethaicd.com.
Lust for Live (Bakery Music) Collection of live alt-rock performances by Modern Dog, Chou Chou, Yokee Playboy, POP and Rudklao Amraticha.
Made in Thailand (Carabao) Carabao’s classic and internationally popular album.
Maw Lam Sa-On 1 – 12 (Jintara Poonlap) Good introduction to mǎw lam.
The Best of Loso (Loso) Thai anthems of teen angst.
Best (Pumpuang Duangjan) Compilation of the late lôok tûng diva’s most famous tunes.
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Chai Muang Sing and Siriporn Amphaipong have been the most beloved lôok tûng superstars for several years, with lesser lights coming and going. Other more recent stars include God Chakraband (a former soap opera star whose nickname is taken from The Godfather, and who is known as the Prince of Lôok Tûng) and Mike Piromporn, whose working class ballads have proved enormously popular. One of the more surprising acts of recent years is Jonas-Kristy, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Swede and his Dutch-English partner, who have been among the hottest-selling lôok tûng acts in the country.
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MADE IN THAILAND
You’ve undoubtedly seen his lanky frame on billboards, enthusiastically sporting his band’s forked-finger salute to promote their eponymous energy drink. You may also have caught him on TV, singing a rallying anthem to sell Chang Beer. And you’ve probably even heard taxi drivers make passing references to his hit song, ‘Made in Thailand’. All these sightings probably have you thinking, who is this guy?
The guy is Yuengyong Ophakun, better known as Aed Carabao, lead singer of Carabao, a Thai band many consider to be the Rolling Stones of Asia.
The name Carabao comes from the Tagalog word for buffalo, and implies diligence and patience (ironically contrasting with the Thai word for buffalo, which is synonymous with stupidity or dim-wittedness). Not unlike the Ramones, the founding members of Carabao, Aed and Khiao (Kirati Promsakha Na Sakon Nakhorn), adopted the word as a surrogate surname after forming the band as students in the Philippines in the early 1980s. Their style of music was inspired by the Thai protest music